FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih () is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kryvyi Rih.
Until 2013 the club participated in professional competitions. In June 2013, the club went bankrupt and was expelled from the Ukrainian Premier League. There was a failed attempt to revive the club in 2014, until finally the club was reestablished again in 2015. In 2020, with the efforts of the Kvartal 95 Studio staff members and the Ze! team, it was restructured as Football Club Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih based on Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih (another club), which took on the Football Club Kryvbas's brand. The president of the former Hirnyk, Kostiantyn Karamanits, became the president of the revived Kryvbas.
Many people consider the original Football Club Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (founded in 1959) and the Football Club Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih of 2020 as the same club.
History The club was founded as a "team of masters" of Kryvyi Rih city in 1959. The club was claiming its heritage to the football team of Felix Dzerzhynskiy Quarry ()Katya Koshevaya (17 May 2023). Історія ФК “Кривбас”. ikryvorizhets.com that competed at the republican level in 1956 and 1957. In 1960, the team of masters of Kryvyi Rih city was admitted to the republican sport society Avanhard and adopted the name of the society, Avanhard Kryvyi Rih. After a couple of years it changed to Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih, before obtaining current its name in 1966. Over the years in the Soviet competitions Kryvbas became a record holder for Ukrainian championship wins tying it at four along with SKA Kiev.
Kryvbas debuted in the Ukrainian Premier League in the 1992–1993 season. They have been in the top league since their debut in the second season. Their best finish was in third place in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 seasons which made them the only club out of a provincial city that managed to place among the top three best.
At the end of the UPL 2012–2013 season the team finished in 7th place, however, due to financial difficulties the club declared itself bankrupt in June 2013.
In 2013-14 local authorities created the Sport Club Kryvbas that included teams of several sports including football.Gen.Director of Kryvbas: The team has marvelous chances to start playing in the PFL already this summer. Kryvbas fan's side. 6 April 2016 FC Kryvbas played several friendlies in the spring of 2014. Due to the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, the project was suspended for undefined period. In the summer of 2015 there was created a public organization "Kryvbas maye buty" (Kryvbas has to be) that is involved in a revival of sportive symbol of the city.
In August 2015 FC Kryvbas was allowed to start at the mid-season of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Championship where it played 11 games winning four and losing five. At finish, the club ended up at the 10th place among 13 participants. In November 2015 it also was applying for the 2016–17 Ukrainian Second League.ФСК«Львів» та ФК «Рух» планують виступати у другій лізі України . zaxid.net. 11 November 2015 In 2016 FC Kryvbas started out in the 2016 Ukrainian Football Amateur League. The new club will start out at the Spartak Stadium that was renovated back in 2013 and holds approximately 4,000 seats.
Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih After a year of absence, in 2017 Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih was reestablished and entered the Ukrainian Amateur competition following which it regained professional status for the 2018–19 season.
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih On 29 July 2020 the president of Hirnyk Kostiantyn Karamanits confirmed that his team would be renamed into Kryvbas before the start of the 2020–21 Ukrainian Second League season.Sergei Oleksiuk. The president of Hirnyk Karamanits confirmed renaming of his club into Kryvbass-2020 (Президент Горняка Караманиц подтвердил переименование клуба в Кривбасс-2020). Sport Arena. 29 July 2020 Later it changed to Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.Vyacheslav Ch. Hirnyk was officially renamed into Kryvbas (Горняк официально переименовали в Кривбасс). Sport Arena. 20 August 2020In Kryvyi Rih took place a meeting commemorated to revival of Kryvbas (В Кривом Роге прошла встреча, посвященная возрождению Кривбасса). Sport Arena. 16 July 2020Vsevolod Mazur. Hirnyk is not getting ready to unite with Kryvbas, mass media (Горняк не готовится к объединению с Кривбассом — СМИ). Sport Arena. 6 July 2020 The club's rebranding was triggered on petition of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.FC Kryvbas which Zelensky instructed Yuzik to revive will be playing in the Second League (ФК "Кривбасс", который Зеленский поручил возродить Юзику, будет выступать во Второй лиге). Gordonua.com. 3 August 2020Liubomyr Chotyrbok. Revived "Kryvbas" by killing "Hirnyk": How deputy Yuzik fulfilled the request of Zelensky (Восстановили "Кривбасс", убив "Горняк": Как депутат Юзик выполнил поручение Зеленского). Sector.depo.ua. 5 August 2020Photo. The revival happened. Kryvbas conducted presentation of its new team (ФОТО. Есть возрождение. Кривбасс провел презентацию новой команды). Sport.ua. 20 August 2020Ivan Serdiuk. Who and why began to revive FC Kryvbas after 7 years of nonexistence (Кто и зачем принялся возрождать ФК «Кривбасс» после 7 лет небытия?). Kryvbass.city. 19 August 2020 It is the second time the club was renamed as Kryvbas, previously also were known as Kryvbas-Ruda.
In interview to Artur Valerko in July 2013 right after the original Kryvbas was declared bankrupt, the football historian Vasyl Hnatiuk has foreseen the transition of Hirnyk to Kryvbas.Artur Valerko. Kryvbas: back to the future? (Кривбас: назад в майбутнє?) Football.ua. 13 July 2013 On 20 August 2020 there took place official presentation of the new Kryvbas."Kryvbas": the new history of a great club ("Кривбасс": нова історія великого клубу). Footboom. 20 August 2020 At the presentation the Verkhovna Rada People's Deputy of Ukraine Yurii Koriavchenkov explained that the process started back in 2015 when on efforts of fans there was created a public organization "Kryvbas maie buty" (Kryvbas has to be) and Serhiy Mazur asked us at that time members of studio "Kvartal-95" with request to help with revival of Kryvbas. The club's president remained the president of former Hirnyk Kostiantyn Karamanits, vice-president on development of youth football became Serhiy Mazur, vice-president on fans cooperation Vadym Ivashchenko, vice-president of communication and public relations Artem Mykhailichenko, head of board of trustees became Yurii Koriavchenkov. It was also announced the history of Hirnyk did not end and its club's academy will continue to work under the brand of Hirnyk and develop young talents for the main squad of the revived Kryvbas.
The new Kryvbas played its first game against FC Cherkashchyna as part of the 2020–21 Ukrainian Cup and won it 4:2. The game had several spectatorsArtur Malkin. The Ukrainian Cup game Kryvbas – Cherkashchyna will take place with partial involvement of spectators (Матч Кубку України "Кривбас" - "Черкащина" відбудеться із частковим залученням глядачів). Footboom. 26 August 2020 and was visited by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Aleksandr Oleinik. The Kryvbas president Karamanits, "The delay of game with Cherkashchyna was caused by reconstruction of the stadium" (Президент Кривбасса Караманиц: «Задержка матча с Черкащиной вызвана реконструкцией стадиона»). Sport Arena. 27 August 2020 During the game some fans spread a banner with a saying "Zelensky three, two, one, shames our Kryvbas"."Zelensky three, two, one". The Kryvbas fans commemorated a banner to president during the Ukrainian Cup game («Зеленский — три-два-раз». Фанаты Кривбасса посвятили баннер президенту во время матча Кубка Украины — фото). NV.ua. 26 August 2020If stadium, then stadium it is: Zelensky was allowed to kick off the first ball at the FC Kryvbas game (Стадион, так стадион: Зеленскому дали разыграть первый мяч на матче ФК «Кривбасс»). Pervyi Krivorozhskiy. 26 August 2020The Kryvbas vice-president, "We are grateful Zelensky for revival of the club" (Вице-президент Кривбасса: Ответ от фанатов следующий: «За возрождение клуба Зеленскому благодарны»). Sport Arena. 28 August 2020
Presidents and chairmen 2013 – Oleksandr Livshyts 2015 – Taras Stretovych
Stadiums and training facilities
The club's main stadium is Hirnyk, formerly Zhovtneva Mine Stadium. It is located at Kolonkovska street. The stadium has capacity of 2,500 seats and its field consists of natural grass and has size 105х67 meters. Besides its main field, the club has also a training complex. The club's training complex is based around former Rodina Mine Stadium located at Svitlohorska street.
Youth football school Hirnyk The club's school was founded on 1 June 2003. The school provides its pupils aged 3 to 17 with extracurriculum activities in football.
Honours Championship of the Ukrainian SSR Winners (4): 1971, 1975, 1976, 1981 Ukrainian First League Winners (1): 1992 Ukrainian Cup Runners-up: 2000
Football kits and sponsors YearsJerseys of Ukrainian clubs Football kitShirt sponsor1998–1999adidas –1999–2002puma2002–2003puma/lotto2003–2005lottoКриворіжсталь2005–2006adidas –2006–2007adidas/lotto2007–2008puma/lotto2008–2011puma2011–2013nike2021–presentstrochka/skidanРудомайн
League and Cup history
Soviet Union SeasonDiv.Pos.Pl.WDLGSGAPDomestic CupEuropeNotes19863rd (VI Zone)64016131158484519873rd (VI Zone)115223101968685619883rd (VI Zone)65021141553455619893rd (VI Zone)105223101978705610th place or lower got demoted19904th (I Zone)15361062040532619914th (I Zone)1152191320756451
Ukraine SeasonDiv.Pos.Pl.WDLGSGAPDomestic CupEuropeNotesas FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Founded 195919922nd"B"126151014623401/8 finalsPromoted1992–931st830811112740271/16 finals1993–94634148122626361994–95634139123530481/8 finals1995–961434119144352421/16 finals1996–97123096152448331/16 finals1997–98830109113433391/2 finals1998–99330161134318591/4 finals1999–003301866265260Runner-upUEFA Cup1st round2000–01112666142236241/4 finalsUEFA Cup1st round2001–02926610102840281/8 finals2002–03123087152537311/4 finals2003–041030106142641361/8 finals2004–051330710132438311/2 finals2005–06143096152735331/4 finals2006–07103071492936351/8 finals2007–08133079142939301/8 finals2008–091st123088142136321/16 finals2009–10143074193147251/8 finals2010–111330611132745291/16 finals2011–12103096152238331/8 finals2012–13730127113641431/16 finalsExpelled20164th460152191FC Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih has reestablished2017–184th Gr"3" 516 6 2 8 44 35 20---Applied2018–193rd Gr"B" 3271566533351 finals---2019–203rd Gr"B" 4201037332233 finals---Restructured as FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Founded 2020 based on FC Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih2020–213rd Gr"B" 2211452501447 finals--Promoted2021–22 2nd 220/301262381742 finals- began on 24.02.2022 Russian invasion of UkrainePromoted2022–231st 73012513263041Not played---2023–243301767513057 finals---2024–255301389342647 finals2025–267301398534648 finals---2026–27105122795 finals--TBD
European record
Football Club Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (1959-2013) made its debut in European tournaments at the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, being eliminated by Parma F.C. in the first round (second round for Kryvbas). Kryvbas also became the first club in the history of Ukrainian football representing other than a regional administrative center.
Overall record Accurate as of 01 January 2026
CompetitionPlayedWonDrewLostGFGAGDWin%
UEFA ranking UEFA coefficient ranking as of 24 August 2025: RankTeamCoefficient317 FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih 3.970 Full list
Results Season Competition Round Club Home/Neitral Away Aggregate 1999–2000 UEFA Cup Qualifying round Shamkir 3–0 2–0 5–0 First round Parma 0–3 2–3 2–6 2000–01 UEFA Cup First round Nantes 0–1 0–5 0–6 2024–25 UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round Viktoria Plzeň1–2 Ks0–11–3 UEFA Conference League (Transfer from UEL) Play-off round Real Betis0–2 Ks 0–30–5
Note: Ks - Košice, Slovakia
Players Current squad
Out on loan
Managers First team Myron Markevych (Jan 1996 – June 1996) Oleh Taran (July 1997 – Sept 2000)